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Russia by Robert W Russia by Robert W. Orttung Capital: Moscow Population: 142.2 million GNI/capita: US$12,740 The social data above was taken from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Transition Report 2007: People in Transition, and the economic data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators 2008. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Electoral Process 4.00 4.25 4.50 4.75 5.50 6.00 6.25 6.50 6.75 Civil Society 3.75 4.00 4.00 4.25 4.50 4.75 5.00 5.25 5.50 Independent Media 4.75 5.25 5.50 5.50 5.75 6.00 6.00 6.25 6.25 Governance* 4.50 5.00 5.25 5.00 5.25 n/a n/a n/a n/a National Democratic 6.25 Governance n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5.75 6.00 6.00 Local Democratic 5.75 Governance n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5.75 5.75 5.75 Judicial Framework 5.25 and Independence 4.25 4.50 4.75 4.50 4.75 5.25 5.25 5.25 Corruption 6.25 6.25 6.00 5.75 5.75 5.75 6.00 6.00 6.00 Democracy Score 4.58 4.88 5.00 4.96 5.25 5.61 5.75 5.86 5.96 * With the 2005 edition, Freedom House introduced separate analysis and ratings for national democratic governance and local democratic governance to provide readers with more detailed and nuanced analysis of these two important subjects. NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) ofthis report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on ascaleof1to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for the categories tracked in a given year. 496 Nations in Transit 2008 Executive SUMMARY ussia has faced numerous difficulties since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Upon coming to power in 2000, President Vladimir Putin has consistently sought to concentrate power, control electoral outcomes, Rreduce media freedom, and tighten constraints on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Like Boris Yeltsin before him, he has failed to make much headway in the battle against corruption. The central political event of 2007 was Putin’s selection of First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as his successor, to be elected president March 2, 2008, and the subsequent announcement that Putin would stay on in power, serving as prime minister. Putin’s action serves to extend his term in power for the foreseeable future. Pro-Kremlin parties won the vast majority of seats in the State Duma elections on December 2. In these elections, Putin and his allies used state resources, particularly state-controlled television, to support the pro-Kremlin parties and crush any conceivable opposition. The elections were neither free nor fair. The Russian authorities put in place such severe restrictions on foreign oversight that monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) refused to observe the elections. National Democratic Governance. The key issue for 2007 was the presidential succession. Putin made it clear that he would not leave the political stage after the end of his constitutionally-mandated two terms in office. This decision leaves in place the current elite and allows them to continue managing the economic assets they gained control over during the last eight years. The system is characterized by intimidation and political passivity on the part of the population. Russia’s rating for national democratic governance drops from 6.00 to 6.25. Putin’s decision to remain in power demonstrates that the political system is increasingly authoritarian, with little accountability to the population and few opportunities for substantial public participation in the decision-making process. While the system is stable in the short term, the mid- and long-term prospects are bleak because such a top-heavy government has little ability to understand what is going on in Russian society and react to social change effectively. Electoral Process. The State Duma elections were neither free nor fair, setting the stage for similarly controlled presidential elections in 2008. Russia placed such strict constraints on international observers that the OSCE monitors ultimately decided not to observe the elections. The campaign was skewed in favor of United Russia, the party of power, with the authorities making extensive use of state resources to ensure victory. Opposition parties were harassed at every step. The Russia 497 national television networks, under the control of the government, promoted pro- Kremlin parties through their news coverage, thereby creating a playing field that was not level. Russia’s rating for electoral process drops from 6.50 to 6.75. The 2007 parliamentary elections set a new level of state control over the electoral process in Russia and prepared the ground for equally undemocratic presidential elections in 2008. Civil Society. Russia’s NGOs continue to face intense pressure from the Russian state, particularly in complying with the provisions of the 2006 Law on NGOs. The state applies the law more harshly against NGOs it does not favor, andmany are having trouble meeting its onerous requirements. Kremlin-sponsored groups like Nashi harass the opposition and Moscow-based diplomats alike. Russia’s rating for civil society worsens from 5.25 to 5.50 because of the implementation of the Law on NGOs, increasing restrictions on the right to public protest, greater use of psychiatric hospitals against activists, and growing political propaganda in the education system. Independent Media. The state continues to exercise extensive control over television, radio, and the print media. Only a few exceptional outlets and the Internet remain open for political discussion. While the Kremlin has not limited the range of free discussion on the Internet, critics accuse it of funding online attacks against opponents, while regional authorities have filed criminal charges against some bloggers who criticize them. Russia’s rating for independent media remains at 6.25 as the state continues to put binding limits on free expression. Attempts to assert more control over the Internet do not bode well for the future. Local Democratic Governance. In an era of centralization, local government in Russia remains an afterthought. Putin used his power to appoint governors to shore up his political support in advance of the State Duma elections. Mayors are increasingly dependent on governors and the rest of the political hierarchy. The federal government has returned to a process of signing treaties withsome regions, suggesting that federal laws do not apply equally to all. Chechnya has achieved relative calm, but at the cost of continued suppression of civil and political liberties. At the same time, violence continues to plague neighboring Dagestan and Ingushetia. Russia’s rating for local democratic governance remains at 5.75 because centralizing tendencies remain strong, denying the population much tangible influence in the conduct of local affairs. Judicial Framework and Independence. Russia’s courts are subject to political manipulation and can be reliably counted on to return the decisions needed by the authorities. Major problems remain in terms of pre-trial detention, lengthy trials, the failure to implement court decisions, and the poor quality of the defense. The greatest indictment of the Russian court system is the large number of citizens who believe that they cannot get a fair hearing and seek redress at the European Court of Human Rights. Although there are provisions for jury trials, they are rarely used, and the decisions are often overturned by higher courts. Russia’s rating for judicial 498 Nations in Transit 2008 framework and independence remains at 5.25 because of the system’s inability to assert greater independence. While some reforms have been implemented, such as increasing the role of judges, it will be a long time before these reforms change the way the system actually operates. Corruption. Bribery and other forms of corruption continue to pervade Russian society: Official efforts to address the problem have mostly amounted to politically driven campaigns to discredit opponents. Russia’s rating for corruption stays the same at 6.00 because in conditions where there is not a free press, energetic civil society, and independent judiciary, there are few prospects for making substantial progress in the battle against bribery and abuse of public office. Outlook for 2008. Putin has made clear that he will remain in power, serving now as prime minister along with his handpicked successor as president. Accordingly, the presidential elections are meaningless, as is the campaign leading up to them. This outcome means that there is little chance Russia’s political process will openup or gain democratic legitimacy in the foreseeable future. Russia 499 MAIN REPORT National Democratic Governance 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5.75 6.00 6.00 6.25 Russia does not have a democratic political system. Instead, there is a facade of democracy, with a Constitution, formal elections, political parties, and other attributes typically found in democracies. However, without public accountability, a free media, and independent courts, the incumbent leadership can manipulate the entire structure to its benefit. Such a system may be able to maintain itself in power for decades, but ultimately it will lose touch with society and become unstable. Quickly following the Kremlin’s stage-managed victory in the December parliamentary elections, President Vladimir Putin announced that he would remain in power as prime minister, working with his handpicked successor as president, Dmitry Medvedev.
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